Farm Rescue founder gets honor

The founder of Farm Rescue was recently named the Honorary Farmer of the Year in Quincy, Wash., during a citywide celebration on Farmer Consumer Awareness Day.

“We chose Bill (Gross) as this year’s Honorary Farmer of the Year because we consider him a total friend of agriculture,” said Chet Pedersen, FCAD board member. “This (Farm Rescue) is something unique.”

Gross founded Farm Rescue in 2005. The nonprofit organization plants and harvests crops, free of charge, for farm families that have suffered a major illness, injury or natural disaster. Gross grew up on a farm near Cleveland, N.D., and is a full-time pilot for UPS Airlines.

“Farm Rescue and the Farmer Consumer Awareness Day event share a common goal of raising awareness for the important role that farmers and ranchers play in providing quality food and economic stability in America,” said Gross. “It is inspiring to see the vast support of Farm Rescue’s mission from people throughout the United States.”

Farm Rescue has assisted 155 farm families in the region since operations began in 2006. The organization is funded solely through donations, business sponsorships and grants. For more information, go to farmrescue.org or call 701-252-2017.

Tags: local news, farm rescue, news, agriculture